Greendomes

Villages of greendomes can be found across the hills of the Frostswards. These buildings use people as magical batteries to grow foodstuffs within the lands of Shadowfire where the sun light is weak or non-existent.

The Dome

On the outside, the Greendomes are constructed to trap the heat from the sun as efficiently as possible, so that crops can grow within. The usually have a thermal wall of rock on one side, and dome of glass windows on the other. The sun, even though it is distant, never sets, and ths greenhouse construct uses this ability to great effect.
However, it is often not enough to grow the variety of foods that need lots of heat and light to grow. The energy must be added to, and that is the role of the Core.

by Midjourney

The Core

The core of the Greendomes are the stone magic engines that convert fuel into light and heat that gets used to grow the plants within the dome itself. Ideally this fuel is pure Crystal uhd, but the scarcity of this means other fuels are usually used instead.

People as batteries

The most common power sources, is the personal stores of magical Uhd held within the bodies of Cobswains who work the farms. A single dome may be peopled by a team of 2 to 4 cobswains who take it in turns to sit within the dome's engine, and let it draw their magical energy - like living batteries. A single person can power a greendome for a full 8-bell, but will then need to replenish their reserves for at least twice that time in rest.
This use of people as batteries has its dangers. There is always a risk of Sallowing, and the long term impacts of regular depletion of magical energies means sickness is rife within the Cobswain profession, and life expectencies much shorter than the average.

A Cobswain powers the core of a Greendome by Midjourney

Nevertheless, the Cobswains are admired for their diligent sacrifice to the greater good that this method represents. And many people believe that it actually improves the food quality this way.

Alternative fuels

The cultivars of the order have begun trialling coal as an alternative fuel to heat the greendomes, but the use of this is limited. The fumes and polution caused by the burning of coal has meant ot feels 'dirtier' to most, and the produce is not as easy to sell comared to the food produced in the traditional manner.

Purpose / Function

The grow food when the natural environment is not conducive to it. The heat and energy required must be augmented from another source. In this case, directly channeled from the magical energies of the farmer themselves.

Architecture

A dome-like structure of windows atop a denses rock base. The entire building will be assymetrical, with the glass roof slanted towards the sun, and the thermal walls away from it.

History

The techniques used in the engine were originally developed within Refuge. The cores were used there to grow foodstuffs when natural sunlght was not avaiable at all. For much of the history of Refuge the source of energy was from the magic of Refuge itself, but towards the end of refuge, when the magics failed, the Order adapted the Cores to work from personal magica stores.
In Refuge, this did not last long and hundreds literally sallowed themselves into Soul husks to feed their brethren. It was this escalating cost in lives that finally forced the decision to abandon Refuge and triggered the Return.
In the modern era, the replenishment of personal Uhd happens enough that this cost in lives is now very rare, and the modern form of the Greendomes no longer carries the extreme dangers it did during those last months in Refuge.

Parent Location

Frostswards

Owning Organization

Order of Salvitas